Repression
by savetoniqht
Summary: After harboring secrets for so long, no one can be prepared for the moment when the past comes back to haunt you. When a case brings back the traumatic past of one squad member, she has to do anything in her power to make sure justice is finally served.
1. Chapter One

I can only write angsty dramatic fics, so yes, this is another one.

Thanks a million to x Rampant Chaos., because this would never get posted if it weren't for her. And she also helped me with a lot of it, but I can't remember specifically right now.

**Disclaimer:** But really, what would you do if I said I owned everything?

Okay fine. They're that Dick's.

* * *

"Shay, you have thirty seconds to get out of bed before I go in there and physically drag you out of there myself." Casey stood sternly in the doorway of her seventeen-year-old sister's room with her arms crossed, staring exasperatedly at the unmoving form in the bed. She was truly getting tired of this charade every single morning.

"I'm sick," Shayla finally mumbled, then turned over and pulled a pillow over her head.

"You are so not sick, get up. I get enough shit for you missing all of the school that you miss. I'm going to make coffee, and if you're not up when I get back you're going to be in serious trouble." Casey slowly backed away from the door, hoping that the mention of the sacred beverage would cause her sister to stand. She smirked in satisfaction as she heard her sister groan before standing up and slamming her closet doors open.

Casey made her way into the kitchen, scowling at the clock on the way in. Whoever decided that people needed to start their days at 6:00 in the morning was high up on the list of people Casey personally wanted to kill. She busied her way though the kitchen, preparing enough coffee to supply a small army just for the two of them.

"Coffee," a tired voice demanded from behind her. Casey rolled her eyes as she turned around to face the teenager. Casey's mouth fell open as she took in what her sister was wearing. She stared in horror at the Shayla's mini skirt that only belonged on a stripper or a playboy model, along with the halter-top that left little to the imagination.

"Absolutely, positively, no fucking way." Casey finally got over the initial shock, but continued to stare blankly at her sister as she crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes conveying all her emotions without her having to say a word.

"Oh come on, Case, shut up. Is the coffee ready?" Shayla pushed past her older sister and toward the coffeepot, but Casey swiftly took a step between her sister and the coffee.

"Get back in your room and change your clothes. There is no way in hell I'm letting you out of the house like that. Now _go_."

"You're not my mother, Casey, you can't tell me what to wear!"

Casey took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment, sick of hearing that statement coming out of Shayla's mouth every time they had a disagreement.

"I am your legal guardian, and I can tell you to wear a fucking clown suit if I want to. Now go change into clothes that are even slightly appropriate for school, because your clothes right now aren't even appropriate for a strip club. You look like a tramp."

Shayla rolled her eyes as she turned around and stomped out of the kitchen and back into her room, obviously slamming all of the doors on the way.

"Good morning to you too!" Casey yelled after her sister before turning back to the coffeepot.

* * *

"Nice of you to join us, counselor," Don called as Casey rushed into the squad room, nearly tripping over her own feet in the process.

"Sorry, sorry, getting a seventeen-year-old out of bed in the morning is a hell that nobody should have to put up with."

"Decent excuse," Fin remarked, winking at Casey. Casey laughed as she took a seat on Elliot's desk. He smiled at her as she sat, to which she nodded back.

"So what do we have?" Casey finally asked once the small talk had faded into silence. Elliot stood and walked to the board that had a series of photographs and notes attached to it. Casey smiled as she watched him in action; while she would never admit it to anyone, there was just something about Elliot Stabler, and she could hardly ever stop thinking about him.

"Alexis, a fourteen-year-old freshman, was walking home from soccer practice at about 6:30PM on Tuesday night. Said she felt like someone was following her, but she didn't see anyone so she assumed that she was being paranoid. She took a shortcut through some woods in the park, and was about halfway through when she felt someone grabbing her from behind. Said she tried to scream but he held his hand over her mouth, but there was no one around anyway. He raped her with a condom once, then ran away and left her lying there. She called her mom, who called the police. Went right in and got a rape kit. She didn't know the perv, but she saw him and is going to sit down with a sketch artist tomorrow. She said she thought she had seen him around a lot the days before, but thought nothing of it, except she did say that she could have just been being paranoid after, though. We have nothing else on the guy."

Casey shuddered as Elliot finished explaining the latest case. It sounded uncomfortably familiar, however most of the cases did. As usual, Casey forced the thought to the back of her mind, convincing herself once again that she was simply being paranoid. This time, though, there was just something about the description…

"Casey?" Casey jumped a little bit as she felt a hand lay on her shoulder, but relaxed once she realized that it was Elliot who was speaking to her.

"Yeah?"

"You okay?" Elliot rubbed her shoulder gently as he took a seat beside her, causing her insides to melt as he did so. She nodded quickly and hastily, pulling away a little and standing up. As soon as she did she began silently admonishing herself for pulling away; she wanted nothing more than Elliot's support, but whenever somebody asked her if she was okay it was like a reflex that made her pull away. Elliot looked a little bit shocked and hurt as she stood up, and she was tempted to just sit down next to him and tell him the truth, but after harboring secrets for so long it's nearly impossible to do otherwise.

"Do we have anything else on the bastard?" Casey finally asked, forcing herself to focus on the case.

"She gave us a description of the guy, but from the description it could be Elliot we're looking for," Fin offered, gesturing to Elliot as he did so. Elliot smirked in his direction.

"Okay, so am I needed for anything?" she questioned.

"Not right now, but hopefully we'll need a warrant from you soon enough," Don answered.

"Okay, well, call me when you do." Casey smiled at the squad before grabbing her briefcase and briskly walking out of the squad room, praying that nobody had noticed the nervousness that was buzzing inside of her.

* * *

Elliot paced hastily between the desks in the squad room as a million thoughts ran through his mind. He had no idea when these feelings had started, but recently whenever he was around Casey his heart fluttered like a little schoolboy with a crush. All he wanted to do was take her in his arms, but he couldn't help but think that she'd have no interest in him—they worked together, and she was much younger than him and would probably be interested in younger men. He wasn't sure where all of the self-doubt was coming from, but it was overwhelming.

Something had been off today, though, when they were discussing the case. Sure, the cases made all of them sick, but something about Casey's reaction to the case made him uneasy. He very well could have been overreacting only because he was watching her so intently, but the look on her face as he rattled off the details was engrained in this mind.

"El," Olivia's voice interrupted his pacing, and he turned to face her. She had her coat draped over her arm and she handed his coat to him as she gestured to the door and started walking.

"That was Alexis' mom. She called to tell me that Alexis remembered today that the perp was wearing a McDonald's uniform and nametag with the name Sean. There's a McDonalds right by the crime scene, so hopefully there's only one employee named Sean and he's from that one. We'll just have her make an ID, but he's probably from that one."

"What kind of idiot pervert goes out and rapes someone while wearing a nametag and a uniform from their place of employment?"

Olivia rolled her eyes at the statement, even though it was true. Before she could respond, however, Elliot's phone started ringing, startling them both. He allowed a small smile to creep on his face as he caught sight of the caller ID.

"Hey Case," he greeted.

"Hi… I was just wondering if you've gotten anywhere on Alexis' case?" Elliot couldn't help but observe that she sounded uneasy, nervous even.

"Yeah, actually, she just remembered that the perp was wearing a nametag from a McDonalds. We're going to pick him up right now. Sean something."

"Oh, okay, good… well, keep me updated, okay?"

"We will, Casey."

Elliot grinned as he hung up the phone.

"Wow, you have it bad," Olivia teased from the driver's seat of the car.

"That obvious?"

Olivia nodded. "So obvious."

* * *

Reviews make me happy. :)


	2. Chapter Two

I'm sorry; I'm having issues writing this.

And I'm even sorrier for not proofreading yet… I will eventually.

* * *

Olivia wrinkled her nose in disgust as the stench of fast food filled the air. She looked around at all of the people crowding in the booths and the line winding through them. She slowly followed Elliot over to the counter.

"Excuse me," Elliot said as he approached the counter and flashed his badge, making everyone waiting in line groan. Olivia smirked and followed Elliot over to the counter, flashing her badge as well.

"Can I help you?" a cashier greeted them.

"Yeah, we need to speak to your manager."

"I'm the manager, what can I help you with?"

Olivia spun around to face a tall, unreasonably large man in his fifties or sixties. She motioned for him to follow them to a quieter corner of the restaurant.

"Mr. Smith," Elliot began, reading the manager's nametag. "I'm Detective Stabler and this is Detective Benson from the Manhattan Special Victims Unit. We have reason to believe that an employee from your restaurant may be connected to a criminal investigation. Do you have any Sean's currently employed here?"

The manager nodded immediately, seemingly unfazed by Elliot's mention of any criminal investigation. "We have two Sean's here, actually, but neither of them are working today. They're both working tomorrow though. Which one is your suspect?"

Olivia and Elliot exchanged frustrated glances.

"We're not sure at the moment, but we'll be back tomorrow. Thank you for your time," Olivia responded as she and Elliot left.

* * *

"Okay, Alexis, can you try one more time to give us any details about what he looked like, sounded like, smelled like… anything that could help us catch the guy." Fin placed a steaming cup of coffee in front of the girl and then sat down in front of her.

She groaned and rested her head in her hands, her red hair spilling over her shoulders.

"Um, okay," she began as she raised her head once again, tears brimming her green eyes. She brushed them away gently and took a deep, shuddering breath before continuing. "There's not much more than I already told you. He had brown hair, it was pretty short. He was tall, maybe 6'2, 6'3? Average weight… um…. I just don't know. Can't I just sit down with the sketch artist now?"

Fin sighed and nodded slowly. "Yeah, okay, but you don't remember anything else? Maybe a smell? Anything he said, his voice?"

Alexis paused for a moment and began fiddling with a rubber band from her wrist. "He said… he said…he called me Red. He smelled like fast food and um… I don't know, okay? I just want to get this over with."

Fin nodded slowly and then stood up.

"Alexis, if you want to talk about anything, there are tons of resources for you. We can give you numbers of counselors, hotlines or support groups if you don't feel comfortable talking to you family or friends. You'll be able to move past this."

She stared up at him for a moment, her emerald eyes glistening with tears. Then she nodded slowly before standing up to follow Fin out of the room.

* * *

Casey was fuming from the call she had gotten an hour earlier. She had been working her ass off all morning, going from trial, to chambers, and never taking a break. Then, in the middle of everything she gets a call that Shayla had been skipping school so much she had hours of detention in front of her and was going to start losing credits if she didn't stop.

"What the hell were you thinking!?" Casey nearly shouted as she started storming down the hall toward the squad room. She had to deal with Shayla, but her work didn't just stop because she needed to take care of other things.

"I was thinking that school is fucking boring and useless, okay? What does it matter anyway, it's just detention!" Shayla shot right back at her.

"You can't just skip when you get bored, Shay, it doesn't work like that. You're going to lose credits and not _graduate_ if you keep skipping class!"

"Case, I'm going to graduate, okay? Chill out. I mean even if I don't graduate what's the big deal? People make great livings by stripping."

Casey stopped dead in her tracks and turned around to face her sister. "That is not even funny."

Shayla laughed and shrugged. "I thought it was."

"Hey Casey, Shayla," Elliot greeted them as he walked down the hall. "How are things going, Shay?"

"I'm going to be a stripper" she announced with a satisfied smirk. Elliot and Olivia both stared at her in shock before looking back to Casey, who was groaning and hiding her face behind her hands.

"Let's go, now. No more talking to people," Casey demanded, placing her hand on her Shayla's back and pushing her into the squad room. "Go sit over there, do your homework and we'll continue this discussion later."

Casey rolled her eyes as she watched Shayla trudge over to the desk that Casey had pointed at and slung her bag down on the floor. She turned back to Elliot and Olivia, who were both laughing at them.

"Shut up," she snapped.

"What happened?" Elliot asked as the three of them made their way into the squad room.

"She's been skipping school like crazy. The office called me today. She literally has hours of detention ahead of her."

"Ouch," Olivia replied.

"I'm an awful guardian," Casey muttered, more to herself than anyone else.

"Case," Elliot said, placing his hand on her lower back. "You're working insane hours a week and raising a seventeen-year-old; how the hell would you know that she's been skipping school?"

She smiled slightly. "Easy for you to say."

"Benson, Stabler," Don called, waving them in. "We got a sketch."

Casey's breath caught in her throat as Olivia and Elliot began walking toward where Cragen was sitting with John and Fin.

As Casey's eyes rested on the teenager sitting next to Cragen she nearly passed out. She couldn't help but stare—it was as if she was staring at herself 17 years ago. The girl was a little bigger than she had been, but the similarities in their traits were undeniable. The girl looked to be about fourteen or fifteen, and she could only assume that the girl was Alexis.

Finally regaining her composure she made her way over to where the other detectives were talking and stood beside Elliot, who smiled at her briefly. She returned what she hoped was a smile, but her mind was running at a million miles a minute.

As Fin handed her a copy of the sketch her heart nearly stopped. It had been years, and age certainly changes a person, but she would never forget the face. She saw his face everywhere, on everyone. He could age one hundred years and it was not a face she would ever forget. There was no doubt in her mind as to who the sketch was of—she knew.

She vaguely felt a hand rest on her shoulder, and another one supporting her back. While she wouldn't admit it, she most likely would have passed out for that hand not had been supporting her. She felt as if the world was spinning around her and she couldn't make it stop.

"Casey!" a voice finally called, and she realized that Elliot had shifted his position so that he was standing in front of her with his hands on her shoulders, trying to get her attention. She shook her head and shrugged him away, then handed the copy back to Fin and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Casey, are you okay?" Elliot asked again. She blinked a couple of times, trying to regain her composure once again before forcing a smile on her face.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," she assured him. "I'm just tired."

She looked around at the other detectives and realized that they were all looking at her with concerned looks on their faces.

"Umm…" she began softly, "I have to get back to my office."

She slowly backed up and began walking toward the door. "Shay, let's go."

She continued to the door and stood there as she waited for Shayla to join her, and then she hurried out.


	3. Chapter Three

Okay... so not as many reviews as hoped/expected on the last chapter... a little disappointing, though I'm probably the only one to blame. Hopefully more on this one?

* * *

As soon as Elliot and Olivia entered the McDonalds once again the manager recognized them and made a beeline straight toward them.

"Detectives," he greeted, "I assume you're back to see Sean?"

"Well, that depends," Olivia responded as she handed the sketch to the manager. "Is this one of your Seans?"

The manager only glanced at the picture briefly before he nodded. "Yeah, yeah, that's gotta be Sean McGinnis. Can't imagine he's done anything though, he's one of my best employees."

Elliot smirked. "He's a suspect in our rape investigation. How about you call him over here?"

As if on cue Sean McGinnis strolled into the restaurant at that very moment. He was practically identical to the sketch that the sketch artist had done with Alexis the other day. He was even taller than Alexis had described him as, but everything else was a clear resemblance.

"Sean McGinnis?" Olivia asked as she approached him. He stopped short and stared at her in bewilderment.

"Yeah…" he stuttered.

"Can you come with us please? We need to ask you some questions about a rape we're investigating."

"Uhh… I gotta work…" Sean began, looking toward his manager.

"Not right now," Elliot responded, stepping into the conversation. "Let's go."

* * *

"I'm home," Shayla yelled as she loudly trudged into the house. "Sorry I'm kind of late, I ended up running into a few people at work and we hung out for a while."

Shayla threw her stuff down and wandered further into the house, ditching her shoes in the middle of the hallway even though she knew Casey hated it. She stood in the hallway for a minute, waiting patiently for her sister to begin admonishing her once again for skipping school, but after waiting for a bit she realized nobody was coming. She shrugged and walked further into the house, assuming no one was home.

"Don't you have homework?"

Shayla nearly jumped a foot in the air when a voice startled her from the kitchen table.

"Jesus, Casey, you scared me. And yeah, I have English homework, but I'm planning on skipping tomorrow anyway so it doesn't matter," she responded sarcastically.

Casey just shot her a look, clearly not amused by her comment.

"I was kidding, Case. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she reponded curtly, standing up to grab a glass and a bottle of vodka from the top of the fridge.

Shayla watched her closely, knowing that she was lying. She knew that Casey didn't even like drinking that much. The only time she drank was when she had wine at fancy dinners, when she was out with friends, or once in a while she would after a really tough case. She watched with concern as Casey filled the glass with straight vodka and then took a huge gulp, wincing and coughing as it burnt her throat.

"Tough case?" she tried again.

"Mhm," was Casey's only response. She sat back down at the kitchen table, bringing her drink and the bottle with her.

"So I saw Alexis Neal in the squad room today. She's a freshman at my school, you know," Shayla said, trying a different approach. Casey only nodded. "What happened?"

Casey rolled her eyes and took another, smaller sip of her drink. "I work sex crimes, Shayla, what the hell do you think happened?"

Shayla shot her hands up in defense. "Hey, absolutely no reason to snap, Case, it was just a question. I don't know what is going on with you, but you don't have to take it out on me."

Casey took one last huge gulp of her drink and began choking and coughing again. After a minute she turned toward Shayla. "I'm sure you have something else to do now, so go do it."

Shayla couldn't help but stare as Casey picked up the bottle of Vodka once again and filled her glass nearly to the rim. Casey was not a drinker in the slightest and seeing her drink even once in a while after a tough case was rare, but Shayla had never witnessed her sister having more than one glass. Ever. She eyed her sister intently until Casey shot her a look and brought the glass to her lips once again.

* * *

An hour later Shayla was sitting at her computer when the shrill ringing of the phone interrupted her. She jumped up instantly and leapt toward the phone, not sure how Casey was doing at this point.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hey Shayla, it's Elliot. Is Casey there?"

Shayla quietly stepped out of her room to see her sister sitting in the same exact place she had left her an hour ago. Her glass sat empty on the table in front of her, drained to the last sip. Casey was just staring blankly at the wall, but Shayla could tell there were a million things running through her mind.

"Yeah, one sec." She cautiously approached Casey and tapped her lightly on the shoulder, trying her best not to startle her. She was unsuccessful, however, as Casey jumped so high she nearly fell of her chair. Shayla tried her best not to laugh as she handed her the phone.

"Novak." Shayla watched Casey closely, trying to get any sense of what was going on. Casey wasn't saying anything; she was just listening. Shayla watched as Casey's face fell. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply, rubbing her temples with her free hand.

"Yeah, okay, I'll be right in. Bye." She slowly brought the phone down from her ear and hit the off button, then laid it on the table beside her. Without saying a word she stood up and headed toward the door, grabbing her keys and pulling a coat on.

"Um, hello?" Shayla called as she followed her sister into the foyer. "Where are you going?"

"Lineup."

* * *

Casey sighed deeply as the cab that she had hailed pulled up to the station. She handed the driver the fare with an enormous tip, too frustrated and irritable to wait for him to make change

As she started walking toward the precinct she felt nervousness like she had never felt building up. She paused for a minute by the front door, trying her best to take deep, even breaths, but failing miserably.

Finally glancing at her watch she was reminded that everyone was standing there waiting for her, so she conjured up enough strength to walk into the building and up to the precinct, regardless of her heart beating furiously in her chest.

"Casey," Elliot called as soon as she walked in. He waved her over and pointed to one of the rooms that they used for lineups. "We're just waiting for you."

Casey nodded and slowly followed Elliot into the cramped room, refusing to meet his eye. She almost missed Alexis sitting in the corner against the wall, her legs pulled up to her chin as if she were trying to take up as little space as possible. Casey's heart went out to her as she walked over and knelt down in front her.

"Hey Alexis, I'm Casey," she began, speaking softly so that only Alexis could really hear what she was saying. "I'm the lawyer that is going to put this guy in jail. We're going to do a lineup now so I'm going to need you to look at all the men that come in and point out which man it is, okay?"

Alexis slowly raised her head so that her eyes locked with Casey's, and Casey almost felt her own eyes filling with tears as she saw the puddles forming in Alexis'.

"It's going to be alright; I won't let him get away with this," Casey whispered so quietly that it must have been difficult for Alexis to even hear. She must have, though, because with a quick nod she stood up and walked closer to the glass, crossing her arms across her chest and not speaking a word.

Casey held her breath and leaned against the back wall as the men walked in. Number one wasn't him. Neither was number two. Three, four and five weren't either… and then number six came in. Seeing him in person left no doubt in her mind. It was number six. She knew it was number six.

She thought her world was spinning the day before as she was faced with the sketch of the man, but seeing him in person felt like she had just been knocked out. She was grateful that the wall was behind her, because her legs started shaking so much that if she hadn't been against the wall she most likely would have fallen backwards.

"Number six," a tiny voice croaked. For a moment Casey couldn't even distinguish whether it had been her that had spoken out loud, or whether it had been Alexis. Then Alexis turned to her, however, pain and determination in her eyes as she spoke.

"Number six. He raped me."


	4. Chapter Four

Hmmm, reviews seem to be a little slower lately. Well, hopefully more this chapter? You can completely criticize my writing too… that's just as much appreciated. (Maybe not as enjoyed, but just as appreciated.)

Ps……………. I just don't even know what to say about _Cold_. I'm not even ready to talk about it. I'm still in shock. And completely devastated. And furious.

(After a really crappy and devastating yesterday, reviews would make me smile.)

Also, I'm no cop. I watch svu, but that's the extent of my police knowledge. I don't know when exactly they are allowed to arrest him or not, so we're just going to go with it my way. Sorry if it's not accurate.

* * *

Casey nearly jumped a foot in the air when she felt someone lay a hand on her shoulder. She blinked a couple of times and looked up to see that it was Don that was standing there.

"Casey…" she finally realized he was saying as she shook her head a little bit to try and clear it. She was hardly sure how she even managed to make it from the lineup back into the squad room, but apparently she had somehow.

"Yeah, sorry, what?" she finally managed, cringing at how squeaky and exhausted her voice sounded. Don watched her in concern for a moment before speaking.

"They want you in there."

If someone had told her that her heart stopped at that moment, she wouldn't have been surprised. Seeing a sketch of him was one thing. Seeing him behind glass, where he couldn't see her was another. Being in the same room with him, speaking to him? She hadn't even thought of that.

Not trusting herself to speak she nodded quickly and then took a few deep breaths, desperately trying to calm herself, then headed toward the interrogation room. Her hands were shaking and sweating, and she was trying her best to keep her nerves under control, but the fact that she had not passed out yet was already an achievement, so she focused on simply keeping herself conscious for now. She paused a couple of seconds at the door to try and catch her breath more before she slowly pushed it open and stepped inside.

Four pairs of eyes turned to her. Eight eyes peering straight in her direction, but hers only locked with one. The pale, practically olive green eyes that she would never forget, pinning her once again. Her breath caught in her throat as she tried to step forward. She knew that the attorney was saying something to her, but the only sound she could hear was the beating of her own heart.

She didn't trust her legs to carry her any further. She cautiously dragged her feet over to a chair and lowered herself down into it, never breaking contact with the man whom she now knew as Sean McGinnis. He had a look of sick satisfaction in his smile that followed right up into his eyes. That smug look on his face was enough to make her vomit right there.

"Casey!" She finally snapped her eyes away from the pervert sitting a few feet away from her and focused on Olivia, who was leaning toward her, severely invading her personal space. She jerked back a little bit and shook her head again before turning her attention toward the Trevor Langen, who, of course, was representing Sean McGinnis.

"Rape one, no deal." She tried to keep her voice as steady and strong as possible, but she knew it was futile to even focus that much energy on the task.

"We're not really at that point right now, counselor. You don't even have enough to arrest my client yet. Your victim identified him, but what else do you have? A witness testimony? DNA? Anything? No. My client has an alibi, Casey.

"The victim's description of her assailant directly corresponds to your client. The sketch that she provided for the detectives is practically identical to him, and she immediately picked him up in a lineup. Rape one."

If looks could kill, she would have murdered Trevor Langen in an instant. She refused to look away from him as he rolled his eyes.

"Casey," Olivia's voice, cold as ice, interrupted her thoughts as she felt a tug on her arm. "A word? Now."

Casey hastily stood up, pushing her chair back so that it made an unnecessarily loud scraping noise on the floor before thrusting her arm out of Olivia's grasp and stomping toward the door. She was sure everyone in the room was exchanging looks as if to say "she's crazy," but at that moment she just didn't care.

"Casey, what are you doing?" Olivia demanded as soon as the door slammed shut behind them. "We called you in there because we thought you would want to be in there. We don't even have enough to arrest this guy yet. Alexis identified him and as much as you believe her and as much as I believe her, there's just not enough evidence yet. We have to keep investigating. We're not at the making deals stage right now."

"But he's guilty!" Casey demanded. She didn't need to be told that her instinct was enough to convict him, and she knew Olivia and Elliot knew that. She just needed this pervert behind bars.

"Case," Elliot said softly, stepping closer to her and gently laying a hand on her shoulder. He tried to look into her eyes, buts he dejectedly turned her gaze down to the floor, focusing on her shoes. "I don't know what's going on and I don't know why, but I know that for some reason you want this guy in jail more than you've ever wanted to throw some bastard in jail before. We want the guy who did this to Alexis in jail too, but we just can't be positive yet if this is the right guy…"

"But this _is_ the right guy!" Casey practically yelled, cutting Elliot off mid-sentence. Normally she would feel guilty immediately after and apologize to him, explaining that she was tired or frustrated, but nothing about the past week or so had been normal. She didn't need to hear any more of their excuses about how this "could be" the wrong guy. She knew the truth. She refused to let him get away with it.

With a disapproving wave of her hand she stormed off and continued out of the precinct without looking back.

* * *

Shayla dropped her bag down in the middle of the hallway as she entered the house, then kicked her shoes off next to it. She paused for a moment, considering the fact that if Casey were to come home before Shayla was supposed to be out of school it would be pretty obvious that she had not stayed for the whole day. She slowly turned around to pick her bag back up, but then shrugged it off and rolled her eyes, realizing her sister would never be home that early in the afternoon.

As she strolled into the house she caught sight of the clock hanging on the wall by the door. 2:15. So she had only really cut one class, and in all fairness it was only English, and she had forged a note from Casey so technically it was not a cut.

She headed straight to the refrigerator, humming loudly to herself, to grab a bottle of water and a slice of cold, leftover pizza.

"Well you're not very discreet, now are you?"

Shayla jumped as Casey's voice interrupted her. She slowly turned around, completely caught red handed. When she realized that Casey wasn't standing behind her she turned her attention to the couch. She realized that Casey had been sitting there the entire time and she didn't even notice.

"What the hell are you doing home this early?" Shayla demanded. She slowly walked around the couch to sit in the chair facing her sister as she took in her appearance. She was decked out in sweats, her hair was a mess and she reeked of vodka. There was an empty bottle, along with another full one, resting on the table in front of her.

"I should be asking you that," Casey slurred, unquestionably drunk. Shayla wrinkled her nose in disgust, and even she was more of a drinker than Casey was.

"Case, what is going on? You don't even like vodka."

"Yes I do." As if to prove it Casey reached forward and grabbed the nearly full bottle and brought it to her lips, not even bothering to use a glass this time. She tried to mask the disgust on her face as the liquid entered her mouth, but it didn't go unnoticed by Shayla.

"You're just drinking to get drunk. You never do that. What is going on?" Shayla inched closer to her sister until she was sitting on the end of the same couch as her. Casey practically smelled like a liquor store herself.

"Nothing," Casey snapped, then brought the bottle to her lips again.

"You can tell me, Case, come on," she begged, sliding closer to her sister on the couch until she could put her arm around her shoulders. Casey jerked away and stood up instantly, as if she had been burned by the touch.

"Casey…" Shayla began, but was interrupted when Casey started swaying on her feet. As soon as she had stood up she fell back onto the couch—exhaustion mixed with the not-so-positive effects of the alcohol taking over. Shayla stood up and gently helped her older sister lie down on the couch, then covered her with the blanket that was draped over the back. She sighed as she collected the bottles of vodka and brought them back to the kitchen.

* * *

As the shrill ringing of the phone interrupted Shayla from her math homework she jumped up instantly, sprinting to the phone before it woke her sister up. Casey, however, didn't stir at all, even though the sound of the phone ringing normally always woke her up.

"Hello?" she finally answered, after experimenting for a moment to see if Casey would stir. She didn't.

"Hi, Shayla, it's Elliot… is Casey at home? She's not at work and her cell is turned off…"

"Yeah, she's here." Shayla glanced again at the unmoving form of her sister, rolling her eyes as she wandered back into her own room.

"Can I talk to her for a minute please?" Elliot asked. Shayla chuckled a little bit and shook her head, regardless of the fact that he clearly could not see her doing so.

"Actually, no, she is completely passed out."

"But it's only 3:30 in the afternoon," Elliot argued.

"Oh trust me, I am fully aware. She drank herself to sleep about an hour ago and has not moved since"

"She's passed out drunk? At 3:30 in the afternoon? I thought Casey didn't even like to drink?"

"She doesn't usually like to drink, but she sure has the past couple of days, though this is admittedly the first time that she has passed out. Do you know what is going on with her? She's been really weird lately."

"Your guess is as good as mine," Elliot responded. "That's why I'm calling."

Shayla smiled smugly; she knew Casey liked Elliot, no matter how much she tried to deny it, and Elliot had basically confirmed that he liked Casey back.

"So she's been drinking lately?" Elliot questioned suspiciously, almost as if he did not believe her. Shayla probably would not have believed it if she had just heard it either, though.

"Yeah, for the past couple of days she has. Once in a while she has a drink after a tough case, but never more than one, and not more than once in a while. This is the first time she has passed out, but I have never seen her drink like this. She doesn't even like vodka; she looks disgusted every time she drinks it. I mean I know she's no alcoholic, but she only drinks at home when something is wrong."

Shayla paused for a moment, letting her words kick in before she did a _tiny_ bit of meddling between the two, leaving her words for any interpretation Elliot wanted to take. "You should try talking to her," she finally offered, not even trying to mask the suggestion in her voice.

"Yeah, um, I think I'm going to try talking to her tomorrow. Will you just tell her I called?" Shayla could practically see him blushing.

"Will do," she answered before hanging up the phone. She had been able to be sarcastic with Elliot, but only because she would never admit how afraid she was. She had no idea what was going on with her sister, but she had never been more worried in her life.


	5. Chapter Five

TVCrazed, if I didn't know any better I'd say you're reading my mind. Damn you. :p

Reviews would be lovely, but that's pretty obvious.

Ps: added disclaimer on chapter one… forgot that

* * *

Elliot cursed as the ringing of his phone startled him out of the haze he had been in.

"Stabler."

"Elliot, it's Shayla…"

"Hi Shay, is everything okay?"

"Yeah… well, um, not really," she began, and then he heard her sigh. "Have you talked to my sister yet?"

"No, I've been meaning to, but it has been really hectic around work lately. How is she doing?" When Elliot had seen her around work she seemed to be doing okay. She didn't have her normal spark, but she seemed to be doing all right.

"She's a mess, Elliot. Every day she comes home early, pours herself a drink and sits on the couch, staring into space. I don't think she's eaten in days and I don't think she's sleeping. She hasn't said a word. She won't even talk to me."

"I'll be over soon, okay?" Elliot answered immediately.

"Okay. I'll find somewhere to go so you guys can talk," she said. "And, you know, anything else…" she added suggestively. Elliot could practically see her smirking on the other side of the phone.

"I'm just going to pretend you never said that. I'll be there soon," he responded, then hung up his phone and immediately made his way out the door.

* * *

Elliot paused for a moment, slightly shocked, as he approached the couch where Casey was sitting. She looked disheveled, to say the least, in her sweatpants and a sweatshirt that must have belonged to a much larger man at some point since it was basically twice her size. She had a blanket draped lazily over her, and it almost seemed like she was shivering even though it was relatively warm. Her hair was messily thrown into a messy bun, and she was nursing a glass of vodka. There was an almost empty bottle sitting on the table in front of her, which she seemed to be staring blankly at.

She hadn't indicated in the slightest that she had even heard Elliot come in. Shayla had yelled to her that she was leaving after she had greeted Elliot at the door, and he had made a considerable amount of noise as he walked in, but she had yet to react to anything going on around her. He marveled how this was the same woman who had looked entirely put together and competent at work today, and how she had completely transformed. Apparently her strength to pull herself together when necessary was more than he ever imagined.

"Hey, Case," he greeted her tentatively as he approached her. "I brought some pizza over; thought you might be hungry."

Although she didn't look up right away he smiled at her anyway as he placed the steaming pizza box on the table and took a seat on a chair so that he was facing her. For a while now, though he couldn't remember just how long, he had noticed that she not only seemed fatigued and exhausted all the time, but she even seemed to be losing weight as well. It was not such a considerable amount of weight, but enough that he could assume that her meals had been consisting primarily of vodka lately. And he knew that she didn't even really like vodka.

"Casey?" he asked again. She finally shifted a little bit so that her eyes met his. It seemed as though she gave him a nod, but it was such a slight nod that he could not be certain if it had been an acknowledgement or simply his imagination. Realizing that, at least at the moment, they were not getting anywhere by talking, he stood up and wandered into the kitchen to grab two plates. As an afterthought he snatched a bottle of water from the fridge and brought the contents back to the kitchen. He cautiously lifted the bottle of vodka from the table and placed the water down instead.

"Case, can I take your drink?" he asked, motioning to the half-full glass of vodka in her hand. She looked up at him, but didn't say a word. He leaned forward to grab the glass out of her hand. At first she resisted a little bit, but as he more forcefully extracted it from her grip she complied. He quickly returned to the kitchen, dumping out the bottle and the glass, and then left them both on the counter.

"So…" he tried, desperate just to hear her speak. "You must be hungry; have some pizza." He reached forward and picked up a slice from the box and placed it on a plate, then tried handing it to Casey. She made no effort to reach for it, and just shot him a look that conveyed that she was not interested in what he was trying to do. He just shrugged and placed it in front of her on the table, then grabbed one for himself. He ate in silence as she stared at her plate in a semi-catatonic state.

Finally unable to stand it anymore, Elliot placed his plate back on the table and stood up, then walked over and sat next to Casey. He tentatively wrapped his arm around her shoulders, but she flinched at the contact. He dejectedly removed his arm and laid his hands in his lap. When she looked over to him there were evident tears glistening in her eyes, and he could tell that she was just barely holding it together. She looked away almost as quickly as she had looked over.

"Hey," he said quietly, turning toward her and pulling her hand into his lap. He tried willing her to look at him again, but when she continued to stare straight ahead he lightly cupped her chin and turned her head so that she was facing him. Finally she shifted a little and turned her body toward him, but kept her eyes down.

"Casey, what is going on? I'm really worried about you. Everyone is."

Casey took a deep breath and shuddered as her shoulders started shaking. He watched her face contort as she desperately tried to conceal her tears, but they didn't go unnoticed by Elliot. He squeezed her hands between his and inched closer to her.

"Talk to me," he begged. She finally looked up at him, tears beginning to fall harder, pooling on her cheeks.

"I… I…" she began, then stopped and shook her head as she tried to swallow down a sob. She failed miserably, however, and it came out as a strangled cry. Before Elliot even had time to process what was happening her shoulders started shaking violently as sobs racked her body. In an instant he had her in his arms, hugging her tight and rocking her back and forth, trying with every fiber of his being to protect her from the world. He rubbed his hand up and down her back and pulled her closer to himself until she was sitting in his lap and he was holding her in his embrace.

He sat there holding her as her body racked with sobs for nearly ten minutes, not even aware of what was going on. He simply held her close and rocked her back and forth, rubbing circles on her back and whispering soothing words.

"Casey," he said softly once her tears began to slow down. He gently pulled away a little bit so that he could see her. "Please, Case, tell me what is going on. It's killing me to see you in so much pain, but I don't know how to help you."

"He's guilty, Elliot," she whispered so quietly that Elliot had to strain to make out her words. "I know he is guilty."

Elliot stared at her for a second, bewildered as to how she could be so upset about a case. They had seen some tough cases, many more heinous than this one, but none that would incite a reaction like hers. "I think he might be too, Case, but he has an alibi and we just don't have a lot of evidence right now. I trust Alexis, I believe her, but it's just not enough yet."

She pulled away instantly and positioned her body so that she was facing forward once again. She hid her face in her hands and began rubbing her temples as a new wave of tears came over her.

"What's got you so upset about this case?" Elliot asked timidly. "Why are you so sure he's guilty?"

She began whimpering as she pulled her knees up to her chest and hid her face in them. "No... no, I... I can't..."

Elliot repositioned himself so that he was kneeling in front of her on the floor, facing her. He gently rested his hands on her shoulders as he spoke to her. "Casey, please talk to me. You can trust me. Please tell me what's wrong."

She jerked away and lifted her head up, coughing as she choked on sobs. She began shaking her head violently. "I can't..."

"Talk to me, Case, you can. You can tell me," Elliot begged, grasping her hands in his own.

Casey finally stopped shaking her head, but her shoulders were still heaving with sobs. She opened and closed her mouth a few times as if she was about to speak, but no words were coming out. She pulled her hands away and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Casey, shh, it's okay, just tell me."

She finally made eye contact with him, and once she did he could clearly see the pain, the fear, and the anger gleaming in her eyes. He tried to grab her hand again, but she pulled it away, her eyes flashing anger. Finally she spoke with venom in her voice. "I know that Sean McGinnis is guilty because he fucking raped me, Elliot!"

Elliot sat in shock, stunned by her words to the point where he just couldn't speak. As soon as she had admitted the words out loud her eyes grew wide and her hand flew to her mouth, seemingly shocked that she had just revealed that. In an instant she was sobbing harder than ever before. She slid down to the floor, shaking with sobs as she cried.

Finally regaining his composure, Elliot once again he pulled the sobbing woman into his arms, holding her as close and as tight as he possibly could.

"Shhh, it's okay, Case, it's okay," he whispered to her as he held her and rocked her back and forth. He gently placed a kiss on the top of her head and squeezed her tighter as her tears stained his shoulder.

"What happened? When was this?" he questioned softly once her tears had dwindled down again. He had never been so furious in his life; they had been questioning this guy for days, and Elliot had no idea that this very man was responsible for Casey's suffering.

Casey took a deep breath before she pulled away a little bit so that she could see him. She spoke slowly and hesitantly, but Elliot could see in her eyes that it was a relief to get it out.

"Well, I was fifteen, living here in the city. One day I was walking home from my friend's house—a guy friend—and I decided to take a short cut because I was running sort of late. It was a pretty secluded area, probably not the greatest idea at night, but I was fifteen; I thought I was invincible," she paused for a moment, squeezing her eyes shut to try and keep the tears to a minimum. Elliot reached out for her hand, but she flinched and pulled away.

"Just… not right now," she explained sheepishly. Elliot nodded and waited for her to recollect herself before she continued. "I was walking and all of a sudden some guy jumped out at me. I fought him so hard, El, I swear I did. I begged him to stop, I was screaming and crying, but he was just too big. I couldn't… I couldn't stop him. It was Sean, Elliot, he raped me. It's been years, I know, but I will never forget his face. I see it everywhere; I know it was him. I will never forget how he called me 'Red' while he was doing it, just like he did to Alexis." She tried to take another deep breath as more tears spilled down her face. Elliot tried to reach for her hand once again, but she simply flinched away.

"I'm so sorry, Case. We'll get him, okay?" Elliot soothed, moving as close to her as he could without touching. She nodded, though her face portrayed that she didn't believe him for a second.

"Did you ever report it? We checked his records and he's clean…"

Casey shook her head. "I didn't report it. I never told anyone, and I never even knew his name anyway. Now I'm responsible for the girl's rape that I am about to prosecute. If I had just reported it he could have been in jail and then he never would have raped her."

"No, Casey, do not do this to yourself. First of all, it is _not_ your fault for not reporting it. You were different then, you were only fifteen. And it is certainly not your fault at all that Alexis was raped. Even if he had gone to jail that was seventeen years ago, and he would have been out by now. He is the only one that is responsible for this. You are no more responsible than Alexis is or I am, okay? Not even a little bit."

"No, Elliot, you don't understand. He would have had a record! It's completely my fault. If I had just fucking reported it, Alexis never would have been raped!"

Elliot moved closer to her and firmly planted his hands on her shoulders and looked her straight in the eye, ignoring how she flinched as he touched her. "You. Are. Not. To. Blame. Casey Novak, I don't ever want to hear you thinking like that again. You couldn't have stopped him, Case. You're a victim. Didn't you ever talk to anyone?"

"I've never told anyone."

"What about your parents?"

"Well… when I got home I was crying and I was a mess, but I was late. My parents furious, and I was at a boy's house so they assumed…" she trailed off at the end, squeezing her eyes shut as a tear escaped from the corner. "They grounded me."

Elliot nodded and began rubbing his hand up and down her arm, urging her to continue.

"That next month I was… I was late. And then I skipped another month, and I couldn't deny it anymore. The bastard got me pregnant. I was only fifteen. My parents were incredibly strict Catholics. Sex before marriage was unheard of, and abortion was absolutely forbidden."

Elliot sat staring at her in shock. He tried to keep his face calm, but he realized too late that his mouth was hanging open, his jaw practically at the floor.

"I finally told my mom… and she… she called me a slut… and… and she said I was sleeping around… and then they kicked me out. My mom had a sister that had come out a couple of years before who they basically kicked out of the family, and they sent me to live with her in Virginia. They just sent me away. I never even got to say goodbye to my friends. They didn't want me because I was such a disappointment, because they thought I was a slut; they just kicked me out." Elliot could tell that she had more to say, but she paused briefly, and he could see her struggling to keep her tears at bay.

"Casey…" he soothed, wrapping his arms around her once again. "You don't have to hide from me, you can cry if you need to. You have every right to. Your parents never knew the truth, Case, but if they did they never would have treated you that way. I'm sure your parents love you, they just didn't understand." He held her for what seemed like another hour before she pulled away once again and wiped her eyes.

"What did you do with the baby?" he finally asked.

Casey stared at the floor as she began fiddling with a loose string from the carpet. "Well, think about it, El. It was seventeen years ago now."

Elliot stared at her incredulously, shocked by what he had just begun to piece together. "You mean… Shayla… Shayla is seventeen" was all he could manage; he was overcome by the shock and practically frozen in place.

"Yeah, Elliot, Shayla isn't my sister. Shayla is my daughter."

She sighed as more tears welled up in her eyes. Elliot was overcome by the shock. He had no idea what to say, so he just reached forward and held her in his arms again. They sat there, silently, for nearly a half hour before Casey turned toward him and spoke softly.

"He didn't just rape me Elliot; he stole _everything_ from me. He stole my virginity, my innocence, my happiness. He stole my family; he stole my entire life and then he just went on living his. I refuse to let him steal Alexis' and get away with it."

And by the determination in her eyes, he knew she was telling the truth.


	6. Chapter Six

Hey, sorry for the major time lapse since my last update… life has been crazy over here. Hopefully I'll have another update posted before I leave, but in about a week I'm going away for a couple of weeks, so it will be quite a while before I post another update (or review on anyone's stories for that matter.)

I've been struggling with a bit of writer's block lately, but here goes a try… it's kind of short, but combining the next two events I have in mind would have been a weeeeird chapter.

Still have to proofread… sorry! :p

* * *

Casey sighed and tried her best to control her breathing as she sat in the chair facing Shayla. Shayla was staring straight ahead at her, concern etched on her face. Casey could tell that she was getting frustrated waiting for Casey to start speaking, but Casey knew that she needed to get her breath under control before she could start.

"What do you need to talk to me about, Casey?" Shayla finally asked quietly. Casey could see out of the corner of her eye that Shayla was watching her intently, but she made no move to look up and meet the teenager's gaze.

Casey sighed again and wrapped her arms tightly around herself, then finally looked up and locked eyes with the pair that was staring at her. "I have a lot to explain to you, Shayla."

"Does this have to do with Alexis' case?"

"Kind of."

Shayla leaned forward and rested her elbows on her legs, waiting patiently for Casey to continue.

"Okay…" Casey whispered, her breath catching in her throat. She brought her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on top of them. "I was born here in the city, and I lived here with my parents. One day when I was fifteen… I was…"

Casey paused and squeezed her eyes shut, unable to continue.

"You were what, Case?" Shayla urged her to continue. She gently rested her hand on Casey's knee, and Casey had to try her best not to flinch at the contact.

"I… I was raped." Casey immediately hid her face in her knees and wrapped her arms tighter around her legs, not wanting to see Shayla's reaction. It was silent for a moment and Casey almost looked up before she felt the couch sink beside her. She shuddered as she felt a pair of arms wrap around her and a head rest on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Case," Shayla whispered, inching her body closer to Casey's and holding her tight. "I'm so sorry."

They sat there for nearly ten minutes, Casey's face hidden in her knees and Shayla soothingly rubbing her back. Finally Casey looked up and turned so that she was facing the girl sitting next to her on the couch.

"There's more…" Casey said quietly, and looked up just in time to see concern growing even more on Shayla's face.

"What is it, Case?" she pressed on. "You can tell me."

Casey took another deep breath and then decided it was probably best to just come right out with it. "I got pregnant, Shay. I was fifteen... and I was pregnant. My parents… my parents called me a slut. They kicked me out…"

Shayla inched even closer to her and grabbed Casey's hands in hers. "What did you do with the baby, Case? Where did you go?"

"I went to Virginia to stay with my aunt…"

"Oh…" Shayla whispered. An awkward, stale silence filled the air as Shayla waited for Casey to continue. "The baby, Casey. What happened to the baby?"

"I kept her," Casey said slowly, locking eyes with the girl sitting facing her on the couch. "I had her seventeen years ago… and I named her Shayla."

Casey watched nervously as all the blood drained from Shayla's face. She slowly pulled her hands back and brought them up to her face. Her face seemed to go blank and she looked so lost and confused.

"You're… so you're… you're not my s-sister? You're… you're my _mother_? All this time? All this time I thought… all this time I thought my mother was _dead_? It was _you?_"

Casey nodded dejectedly, casting her eyes to the floor, unable to look her sister in the eye.

"I'm not… I'm not _mad_, Casey, I'm just in shock. I can't… I just can't believe it. I can't believe you're my _mother_! And my father… my father is a _rapist_!?"

Casey nodded again, pulling her knees closer to her body and wrapping her arms around them once again. "I'm sorry," she whispered, barely audibly.

"So what… what does this have to do with Alexis? With your case?" Shayla finally asked a few moments later, once the news had sunk in a little bit more.

"The man that… well, you know… that's him. The suspect in our case, the one that raped Alexis… it's him."

"So… my own _father_ raped a girl at my school? Oh god, this is so messed up… this is so, so messed up…" Shayla said. She stood up and started pacing around the living room, her hands resting on her head.

"I'm sorry," Casey whispered again, her voice cracking as she tried to contain her tears.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Shayla asked, turning toward her sister, but not stopping her pacing.

"I was only fifteen; I wasn't ready to be a mother. I was only a freshman in high school when I got pregnant. I don't know if you remember, but we lived with my aunt while I finished high school, college and law school. When I was old enough and stable enough to take you back I did, but you had been referred to as my sister for so long. We just thought it would be easiest for everyone."

"So what happens now?" Shayla asked, finally slowing down so that she was standing in front of her… well, mother.

"Nothing has to change, Shay. It's not like you have to call me mom or anything like that. You can still call me Casey and stuff… nothing has to change."

Shayla shook her head. "But it does change, Case. Everything is different now."

"It doesn't have to be," Casey argued. "There is one thing I need to ask you though."

"What?" Shayla slowly walked around the table and lowered herself on the couch next to Casey again.

"Well, Elliot and I talked, and what we realized is that if we can prove that the suspect is the same suspect that… well… you know…" Casey trailed off at the end. Although she had come to terms with her rape years ago, coming out and saying the word was another story.

"Attacked you?" Shayla offered, grasping Casey's hand once again. Casey nodded and gently wiped a stray tear from her cheek.

"Yeah, well, if we prove that he _attacked_ me, then it shows his background and it shows similar M.O."

"So how can you prove it?"

"If it's okay with you… we can do a paternity test. We can prove he's your father," Casey responded.

Shayla visibly shuddered at Casey's request. Casey watched Shayla intently as she seemed to consider what Casey had said. Slowly she raised her gaze to meet Casey's. "Okay," she conceded. "I'll do it."

* * *

Ehhhh. I updated at least, right? Reviews please! :)


	7. Chapter Seven

Here ya go. :) Hopefully I'll update again before I leave!

Oh, and thanks JennaLynn for pointing all that out in your review… you inspired the beginning of this chapter :) haha.

* * *

Casey looked up as the sound of pounding footsteps resounded from the room on the other side of the apartment. She put the case file down that she had been reading and turned around to see her daughter stomping around between her own room and the bathroom getting ready. Casey sighed before forcing herself off the couch and making her way to Shayla's room.

"Do you want to talk about this, Shay?" she asked from the doorway, watching as Shayla was throwing clothes out of her closet in an angry fashion as she was looking for something to wear. Casey slowly approached her and began picking up the clothes and folding them before laying them neatly on the bed.

Shayla whipped around and snatched a pair of jeans from Casey's hands.

"Don't touch my stuff," she demanded, then threw the jeans back on the floor in a pile and turned back to your closet.

"Yeah, and who paid for the stuff that you're throwing on the floor?"

"My _mother_, apparently," Shayla answered without turning around.

Casey sighed and took a seat on the bed. "You seemed okay with this last night."

"Yeah, well, I was kind of in shock, Casey," Shayla responded, turning around for a minute. "What was I supposed to say? You've been hiding this from me for seventeen years!"

"I was just trying to do what's best for everyone," Casey argued. "I was _fifteen_, I didn't want to be labeled a whore for the rest of my life. I didn't want you to be known as the girl who has a whore for a mother. I just wanted to do what was best.**"  
****(A/N getting pregnant at fifteen doesn't make you whore… I'm not trying to offend anyone. It's dialogue; it doesn't reflect my personal views)**

Shayla shot Casey a look of disgust. "So you told me that my parents were _dead_? Did you think it would never get out?"

"I didn't think it would! If this didn't happen we could have gone on living life like we had been, but it _did_ happen."

"Then when would you have told me about it? In your will? Jesus, Casey, you've lied to me my entire life! My entire life has been a lie. How do I know what else is a complete and total lie?"

"It's… I don't… I don't know… you just have to trust me."

"Well," Shayla spat, "I don't trust you. Not anymore."

And with that she stormed out of the room. Casey winced as she heard the front door being swung open and then slammed shut. She didn't even bother to wipe her tears away this time; there was no one left to care.

* * *

"Elliot, will you just tell us what the hell is going on?" Olivia demanded as Elliot ushered her, Fin and Munch into Cragen's office. Don looked up, but didn't say a word as the rest of the detectives took their seats. Elliot slowly closed to door behind him before turning around to face them.

"We just caught a break in Alexis' case," he began.

"What break? Our only suspect was supposedly at work during the attack," Olivia argued, crossing her arms.

"What, and no one has ever taken a break from work before?" Munch deadpanned

Elliot sighed. "Can we focus, please? For a minute? This is important."

"Fine, talk," Olivia responded.

"Well I went to talk to Casey the other night to see what was going on with her, you know, because she's been acting weird. She said that Sean McGinnis raped her seventeen years ago."

He watched as every one of the detective's faces turned from shock to concern. No one spoke for a minute as they each let the news sink in.

"He doesn't have a record, though," Olivia pointed out, once she had recovered from the initial shock.

Elliot nodded. "She never reported it… she'd never told anyone before she told me the other night."

"She can't prosecute this case, then," Don added.

"I think she already talked to Branch, or she's going to later today."

"So how is this a break?" John asked. "If she never reported it then it's not like we can charge him with it now. We can't even bring it up, there's no evidence."

Elliot took a deep breath, anticipating the rest of the detectives' reactions before he spoke.

"Well, actually, there is evidence… he didn't use a condom, and since she never told anyone she never got a rape kit nor the morning after pill. She got pregnant and she kept the baby…"

"Shayla…" Olivia spoke up after Elliot paused to let the news sink in. She said it so quietly it was barely a whisper, but it didn't go unnoticed by any of the detectives. It was silent for another minute before Elliot spoke again.

"She already agreed to a paternity test. At the very least it will prove statutory rape since she was only fifteen, and M.O… if you didn't notice Alexis looks a hell of a lot like her, and he called them both the same thing when he… you know." Elliot sighed as he looked around at all of the other detectives. They all looked shocked, to say the least

"Okay…" Cragen finally said. "Well, I guess get back to work. I'll call in a warrant myself for the bastard's DNA. Fin, Munch, go pick him up."

* * *

"Casey?" Elliot called as he pounded on the front door. He paused and tried to listen for any noises, but he heard nothing. He knocked again and then was about to turn away when the door opened.

In front of him stood a disheveled Casey Novak, who had clearly tried, but failed, to cover up the fact that she had just been crying. He stepped into the apartment and followed her to the couch, which she slowly lowered herself on to. He sat next to her and took her hands in his.

"What's wrong, Case?" he asked timidly as he rubbed his thumbs back and forth over the tops of her hands.

She sighed and tried to blink back more tears. "My sister… daughter, my daughter hates me. It's weird to even call her my daughter."

As a fresh set of tears glazed over her eyes Elliot took the plunge and reached forward, pulling her into his arms. As soon as she complied he wrapped his arms tighter around her and pulled her close to himself. She rested her head on his chest and squeezed his hands tighter. Before Elliot even registered what was happening, her lips were pressed against his and she was on top of him. He gratefully returned the kiss, pulling her closer to himself until there was no space between them.

She finally pulled away and rested her forehead against his, her eyes squeezed shut.

"She doesn't hate you, Case, she's just confused; it was a lot to take in," Elliot assured her before recapturing her lips with his own.

"Woah, get a room," a voice called from the doorway as the door swung open. Casey immediately jumped up and began straightening her clothes and smoothing her hair over as if she had just been caught doing more than kissing.

"You know, it was a lot less weird when you were just my sister. Guess a lot more has changed now that, you know, you gave birth to me," Shayla remarked with a smirk as she continued into the kitchen and threw the keys down on the kitchen table.

Casey shot Elliot an "I told you so" glance and made her way to the kitchen. Shayla sat on the counter, eating an apple and smirking at Casey.

"Okay, enough," Casey snapped. "Will you be ready to go in an hour?"

"Ready to go find out if my father is a serial rapist? Always."

* * *

I haven't proofread. :( reviews please!? :)


	8. Chapter Eight

Shayla didn't even cringe at the sound that her hairbrush made as it smashed into her mirror. In fact, she almost smirked with satisfaction as she watched the mirror crack and the shards fall until they landed amongst all of the junk that she kept on her desk. She wasn't exactly sure what had possessed her to throw her hairbrush at her mirror rather than doing anything else to get her anger out, but it felt fantastic to do so.

She continued her pacing back and forth, leaving the crumbling mirror and its remains as they were. She couldn't comprehend why this just had to happen to her. It was like a soap opera, but it was no TV show—it was her reality.

Seconds later there was a sharp knocking on the door, interrupting Shayla's thoughts. She rolled her eyes as she headed toward the door. When she opened it she was faced with Olivia, who looked more uncomfortable than she had ever seen her.

"Hi," Olivia said, softer than usual.

"Hey, Casey's not here," Shayla responded.

"I'm here to see you."

Shayla raised her eyebrows in question of what the detective would want with her. She stepped back and opened the door wider so that Olivia could step inside, but she didn't say a word.

"Should we go sit?" Olivia offered after an awkward silence. Shayla nodded and led Olivia over to the couch.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Well," Olivia began hesitantly, "I wanted to talk to you about this whole… you know, situation."

Shayla nodded and rolled her eyes slightly, but she respected Olivia and trusted that she just might have something to say that was actually worth her time.

"I'm going to give you a quick summary of my childhood," Olivia started again, speaking slowly and timidly, as if she were thinking of every single word before she spoke it. "I never knew my dad growing up; I never knew who he was. It was always just my mom and me. My mom was an alcoholic and she was abusive. She was angry all the time and I never understood why.

"My mother was raped and she became pregnant. She didn't believe in adoption and she didn't want to put her baby up for adoption, so she kept it… well, me. They never caught the man that raped her, so she went through every day wondering who he was. You know, anyone she passed on the street could be him, and she just didn't know.

"When I was younger the fact that I didn't know who my father was didn't really bother me. I was jealous of all the other kids that had their daddies and I wanted one, but it didn't bother me that I didn't know who he was. As I got older I kept on thinking what I'm sure you're thinking now… my father was a rapist." Olivia paused and finally glanced up at Shayla. She had tears brimming in her eyes, and she was slowly nodding her head.

"How could my father be a rapist? What does that make me? I have his fucking genes in me!" Shayla snapped, raising her voice.

Olivia sighed. "I've been asking myself this for years, Shay. You just have to remember that you're not your father. Your father did an awful thing, but that doesn't make _you_ an awful person. Not everything is genetic. If you had grown up exposed to these things as a positive then you would probably be very different, but you didn't. Shayla, you're a great, strong person, and just because you have your father's genes doesn't make you a bad person."

"But we don't know that. I don't know that."

"No, we don't _know_ it, but it's all in your control. If you give up and convince yourself that you'll be a bad person because your father was, then you probably will be. I've had a lot of time to think about this. Your father's actions are in no way a reflection of you."

"I can't believe he fucking raped a girl at my school," Shayla said suddenly, changing the subject. She really did not want to discuss her father's genes anymore, whether they made her a monster or not. "How am I ever supposed to go back there? Everyone will know that my _father_ raped a girl at my school. How fucking twisted is that?"

Olivia nervously played with a loose thread from the couch and was silent for a minute before she spoke. Finally she looked up, but she still looked like she was in thought as she spoke.

"People probably will find out. In fact, they almost definitely will. Sean's previous rape is significant to the case, and both you and Casey will be revealed when they use it, and Casey will be a witness. That doesn't mean that you did anything wrong."

"Olivia, it doesn't matter if _I_ did anything… just by association people will be like, freaked out by me."

"There's no reason that they should be. It's not like you had any control over Sean's actions. He is a sick, disturbed person, but like I said that doesn't reflect on you. Anyone who can't see that isn't worth your time, because frankly they're an idiot."

Shayla smiled a little and nodded. She just wanted to get this conversation over with.

"If you ever want to talk about this, Shayla, I'm here. I know it might be hard to talk to Casey about, but I get it. I get what it's like not having a father, and then learning that your father was a monster. Anytime you need to talk I'm here," Olivia reminded her as she stood up. She started pulling on her coat and put her shoes back on.

"Thank you, Liv," Shayla said quietly as she stood up too. "Thank you for everything."

Without a word Olivia reached forward and enveloped her in a hug, holding her as she finally let her tears fall.

* * *

"Hey, beautiful," Elliot whispered in Casey's ear as he came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. She jumped a bit and then turned around.

"You scared me, you jerk," she scolded. "But hey yourself."

She draped her arms around his neck and moved closer to him until she was pressed up against him and his lips finally made contact with hers. It was a short, sweet kiss, but somehow it still made Elliot weak in his knees. He felt like a cliché "schoolboy with a crush" when he thought things like that, but they were true. Just looking into her eyes could brighten up his day.

"How are you doing?" he asked her, stepping back so that he could see her. She kept her face pretty blank and void of emotion as she shrugged.

"I'm doing fine, El."

He was hardly surprised by her answer, but he decided not to press the issue.

"You want to go get dinner?" he offered.

"I would love to, but I can't. I have way too much to do," she responded, breaking their embrace as she stepped away and continued bustling around her office like she had been before Elliot had come in. Elliot sighed as he watched her.

"Take care of yourself, Case," he reminded her. "I know this case is hard, but don't just dive into work. You need to be eating and sleeping and relaxing; you can't just throw yourself into work so that you don't have to think about this."

Casey scowled at him for a second before turning her back to him and walking over to a file cabinet on the other side of the office.

"Well thank you, shrink Elliot," she snapped. "Goodnight."

Elliot sighed as he walked out, quietly closing the door behind him.

* * *

Wow, probably forgot all about me, huh? I was away for a bit, sorry about the huge delay on updates.

Well, this chapter kind of sucks. I'm sorry I like… forgot how to write, I don't even know. Reviews would be great though!


	9. Chapter Nine

Casey nervously tapped her foot as she waited for the door to open. She wasn't exactly sure what she was going to say yet, but she knew that she needed to tell Alexis that she wouldn't be prosecuting her case as soon as possible.

"Casey, hey," Alexis greeted her once the door swung open. Casey jumped slightly at the sudden noise, but smiled once she saw it was Alexis.

"Hey, Alexis. Can we talk for a bit?" Casey asked. Alexis stepped back and opened the door further, allowing Casey to enter the apartment. She led Casey over to the kitchen table and took a seat.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Alexis asked, keeping her eyes glued to the table in front of her. She looked nervous and she had bags under her eyes, confirming that she hadn't been sleeping much since the attack.

"Alexis… I came here to tell you that I can't prosecute your case. Another lawyer is going to have to do it. Her name is Tracy Kibre and she's a great attorney."

Alexis finally looked up, hurt evident in her eyes. "What? Why can't you do it? I already trust you. I don't want someone else to do it!"

Casey sighed and took a deep breath, trying to decide how to respond. She knew she had to tell Alexis her story, but she had only told it once in her life when she had told Elliot.

"I know, and I'm sorry, but let me explain?" Alexis shrugged and finally looked up.

"One day when I was fifteen I was walking home from a friend's house. It was at night and I took a short cut, so there was no one around. I was walking home and a man jumped out at me. He attacked me… and he raped me." Her voice faded out as she said the last three words, but Alexis heard her nonetheless. The teenager hesitantly placed her hand on top of Casey's, urging her to go on while simultaneously offering her the support she needed to continue.

"Alexis, you are a brave, courageous girl, and I am so proud of you for coming forward like you did. I wasn't as strong and as brave as you, and I never told anyone. And, because I never told anyone and never got a rape kit like you did, I never got the morning after pill. I got pregnant when I was fifteen years old and I kept the baby… I'm thirty-two years old and I have a seventeen-year-old daughter."

When Casey finally looked up, Alexis was looking at her with a mixture of shock and concern etched in her face. Her eyes expressed sympathy, but at the same time surprise was evident. Before the teenager could get a word in, Casey pulled a photograph out of her pocket.

"This," she gestured to the photograph, "is me at fifteen."

Alexis pulled the photograph closer to her and observed it for a moment before looking up.

"It looks like me," she exclaimed, looking from the photograph back to Casey.

"Yeah, it does," Casey agreed. "Alexis, the reason I can't prosecute your case… well, as soon as I saw the sketch that the sketch artist made of your attacker, I knew that he was the man who raped me. I never reported my attack, but I have never forgotten his face."

"Are you saying that the same man who… attacked me, attacked you seventeen years ago?"

Casey nodded. "Yeah, he did, which is why I can't prosecute your case. I can, however, help you in a different way. I can prove that Sean McGinnis is the man who raped me, which will prove that he has a violent history."

"How can you prove that?"

"My daughter agreed to have a paternity test done. I _know_ that Sean is her father, which the paternity test will prove. Even if we can't prove that he raped me, I was only fifteen so either way it proves statutory rape. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I know what that means. So then he'll be charged with both of our… you know?"

"Unfortunately, no. There's something called a statute of limitations, which says that you can't charge someone with sexual assault more than five years after the assault was committed. It's been seventeen years, so obviously it's too late, but it still proves his history.

Alexis looked up suddenly, a glimmer of hope on her face. "So you'll still be at my trial?"

"Yeah, I'll still be there, but I'll be testifying too."

"Good, because I want you there," Alexis admitted, a small smile creeping onto her face.

"There's one more thing that you should know," Casey told her. "Do you know Shayla Novak?"

"Yeah, I do. Well, no, I don't _know_ her, but I know _of _her. She's a senior at my school… is she your daughter?"

Casey nodded. "I just wanted you to know so that when you hear her name at your trial you know why."

"Thank you for everything, Casey." Alexis stood up and Casey followed her lead, and she then threw her arms around the attorney. Casey hugged her back, whispering soothing words into her ear when she felt a wet spot forming on her shirt.

Finally Alexis stepped back, looking slightly embarrassed at having cried in front of the attorney. Casey smiled and handed her a card once they reached the front door.

"Anytime you want to talk, you call me. Day or night, it doesn't matter."

"Thank you, Casey," Alexis said gratefully. "I will."

* * *

"Hey, handsome," Casey greeted, wrapping her arms around Elliot's waist as soon as he opened the door to his apartment.

"Hey, beautiful," Elliot responded, turning around to face her. She moved her arms so that they were wrapped around Elliot's neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist. He pulled her closer to him before resting his forehead against hers. "How are you doing?

She shrugged. "I'm doing okay, actually. I talked to Alexis today, and I think she understands."

"Good," he answered, pressing his lips against hers. He pressed his tongue against her lips, requesting entrance into her mouth. She relented without much resistance and their tongues battled for dominance as she moaned slightly into his mouth.

He pulled away suddenly and without warning lifted her into his arms. He carried her into his bedroom and gently placed her on the bed before crawling up beside her.

"Case… if you want to take it slower… if you want me to stop… you just say so, okay?"

She nodded and smiled slightly before rolling back on top of him and kissing him once again.

"I don't want you to stop."

* * *

Well, I finally updated! Sorry for taking so long.

Please review! But, more importantly, I need help...

Do you want me to write the trial, or should I just sort of summarize it after? Or I could just write like… the results of the trial, like the very end? Please let me know so that I can write the next chapter!

And please review. :)

Ps – Sarah, aren't you so proud of me? Which means it's now your turn to update… sooo, go!


	10. Chapter Ten

Hey guys! Sorry for such a long delay! Thanks to Sarah (L.A. Lights) for being a pain until I updated this. :p And NOW, go read _Red Velvet_ by her, because since I updated this it is now HER TURN TO UPDATE THAT! :]

* * *

Elliot frowned as he watched Casey desperately struggling to close the clasp on her necklace, her hands shaking so much that the task was nearly impossible. He slowly stood up and approached her on the other side of the room, where she was standing in front of the mirror and spewing out strings of curses under her breath that he could not even understand. He made sure she was aware of his presence behind her before he gently laid his steady hand on top of her shaking one, taking the necklace from her and closing it effortlessly.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. She squeezed her eyes shut and nodded slightly.

"I have to." Suddenly she pulled away, retreating back to her closet, presumably in search of shoes.

"You don't _have_ to do anything. I think this would be good for you, you know—getting it all out in the open after seventeen years. But you don't have to do anything you're not ready to."

"Well thanks, Huang," she shouted sarcastically back from her closet. Elliot couldn't see her, but he knew she was rolling her eyes just from the tone of her voice.

"I'm trying to help you, Casey." Elliot remained firmly rooted to his spot, still standing in front of the mirror. He paused, waiting for her response, but getting none. He was about to yell out again when she slowly appeared from inside the closet.

"I know. Thank you… I wouldn't have been strong enough to do this without you." She blushed and crossed her arms, focusing her eyes on the floor in front of her at this admission.

"You're strong, Case," Elliot argued, walking forward to her again. "You don't need me here to do this. You have the strength to do it on your own... you just don't have to, because I'll be here every step of the way." He looked up at her to meet her eyes, and as she slowly raised them he saw just a hint of tears glistening in her eyes, that he would have missed if he weren't staring into them. He stepped forward and gently leaned in, resting his forehead against hers.

"Thank you," she whispered, as she crashed her lips against his own, pulling him closer to her as he deepened the kiss.

* * *

Casey frowned as she walked into the courthouse, for the first time in her life empty handed. She couldn't help but feel as though she were missing something—her briefcase, a warrant… anything. Elliot, somehow always seeming to understand what she was thinking before she uttered a word, wrapped a protective arm around her waist, pressing her against his body and effectively calming her nerves slightly.

"Casey!" The prosecutor whipped around as she heard her name yelled from behind her, and barely had time to react before she felt a smaller body crashing into hers and arms wrapping around her. She felt Elliot pull back, and she smiled as she wrapped her arms around the teenager.

"Hi, Alexis," she said softly. "How are you doing?"

Alexis glanced up, tears brimming in her eyes as she kept her arms around Casey. "I'm okay. I'm so glad you're here… I was afraid you wouldn't come."

"Of course I came! I told you I would."

The younger redhead shrugged, pulling away and stepping back enough to look Casey in the eye. "Things change. One day you're just a normal fourteen-year-old girl, and the next your life has been ripped to shreds."

"Hey," Casey reprimanded softly. "This one mess will not dictate the rest of your life, Alexis. You are way too strong and way too brave to let that happen. We'll get through this trial, ideally Sean will go to jail, and you'll take some time to heal and then go on with your life. I'm not saying this isn't going to hurt, and I'm not saying you're just going to forget about it, but I know you won't let this control your life."

Alexis nodded, throwing her arms around the prosecutor again before stepping back somewhat timidly and motioning to her mom, who was waiting behind her. "We should probably go find Tracey… I think she's waiting for us. Thank you, Casey. Will you still be here after the trial?"

Casey smiled and reached into her purse, pulling out her wallet and fishing through it for a card inside. "I'll be here always, Alexis. I'll still be here after the trial, but I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. You call me anytime you need me, okay?"

Alexis nodded, beaming as she reached forward and took the card from Casey's hand.

"Hey, Casey… Alexis…" They both glanced up suddenly to see Shayla walking toward them, obviously looking hesitant to interrupt the moment.

"You came," Casey exclaimed gratefully, turning toward her daughter as she approached. "I thought you weren't coming. Something about 'having no desire to hear about your deranged conception?'"

Shayla smirked, shrugging as she glanced from Casey, to Elliot, to Alexis. "Yeah, well, I figured I owed it to you to be here."

"Well thank you… I'm glad you are."

"Alexis…" Shayla began, turning toward the shorter girl. "I'm really sorry about all this. I hope it's not too creepy for you, knowing about me."

Alexis shrugged, shuffling her feet nervously. "You didn't do anything."

Shayla nodded, turning back to her sister and waiting for her response.

"Okay, Alexis, you should probably go find Tracey, but I'll find you after the trial, okay?" Casey smiled as Alexis nodded and her mom approached the group, resting a hand on Alexis' back as she smiled at Casey and guided her to where they were meeting Kibre.

"Well," Casey finally said, her voice dropping and her smile fading. "Let's get this over with."

* * *

Alexis shivered as she sat on the stand, the defense attorney's eyes boring into her.

"So Alexis," Langen began. "You claim that Sean McGinnis 'raped' you, correct?"

"Yes, because he _did_," she argued, crossing her arms and leaning forward.

"So you say. Now, Alexis, where were you coming from when Sean allegedly raped you?"

"Um, soccer practice…" Alexis responded, not bothering to keep her frustration out of her voice.

"Your soccer team is an all-girls team, but you had a co-ed practice with the boys' soccer team on that day, correct?"

"Yes."

"You have a boyfriend on the boys' soccer team, correct again?"

Alexis' eyes shot up, locking in with the attorney's before glancing over at Tracey, who offered her an encouraging nod, but Alexis could see the emotions running through Kibre's eyes.

"How did you know that?" she practically squeaked, trying but failing to keep her emotions out of her tone.

"That's irrelevant, please answer the question."

"Yes, but…"

"And are you having sexual intercourse with this boyfriend?"

"OBJECTION!" Kibre practically yelled, shooting to her feet. Alexis just stared at the creep in front of her, her mind reeling.

"Your honor," Langen began, addressing the judge before she had a chance to intervene. "I assure you that this line of questioning is relevant. If you'll give me a moment I can continue."

The judge nodded. "Keep it relevant, Mr. Langen, and don't push it. Overruled."

"Alexis, please answer the question," Langen sneered, turning back toward the witness stand.

"I'm fourteen years old!" she exclaimed, her voice rising.

"This is a yes or no question, Alexis."

"No! I'm fourteen! I am _not_ having sex!" she felt her blood boiling, and as she located her mother sitting in the front of the room, she could see the tightness in her mother's face.

"So you're saying that you've _never_ had sex with this boyfriend?"

"Objection, your honor," Kibre argued again, rising to her feet. "The witness just answered the question, and I still don't see how this is relevant."

"Just give me a minute!" Langen assured the judge, who nodded.

"Overruled for now, but be careful, Mr. Langen. You're pushing it."

Langen nodded. "Isn't it possible, Alexis, that you were with your boyfriend at soccer practice, and one thing led to another, and you needed a cover story?"

"OBJECTION!" Kibre practically yelled. "Speculation, your honor! This is ridiculous and unethical! The girl is fourteen!"

"You think fourteen year olds aren't having sex? Wake up and smell reality, Kibre," Langen argued back.

The judge slammed her gavel, silencing the bickering of the two attorneys. "Mr. Langen, I gave you a chance and you are pushing my limits. Back. Off. Or I will hold you in contempt. I suggest you find a new line of questioning _immediately_. Objection sustained."

Langen grumbled under his breath before looking up at the judge. "_Fine_. The defense has no other questions for this witness."

"Thank you, Alexis," the judge said softly, glancing down at the girl who had tears running down her face. "You may step down. Court will reconvene in an hour."

Alexis ran down off the stand and into her mother's arms, thanking God that that was over… now all she had to do was wait for the verdict.

* * *

Thanks for reading… reviews always appreciated! :]


	11. Chapter Eleven

Heyy guys:) Sorry I suck at updating! Well, here it is, the last chapter. Not much more I can do, and I think it's time for this to come to an end. Thanks for all the reviews and stuff! And congrats to me for actually finishing a story:)

This is a REALLY short chapter, just tying up loose ends. Thanks for reading etc etc!

* * *

Casey tried to steady her shaking hands as she sat between her sister and her boyfriend on the hard bench. In a few seconds, she could finally be finding some justice for what had happened to her... or, she could be watching her walk away unscathed while her life had been torn to pieces. Again. Elliot, obviously sensing her discomfort, reached over and grabbed one of her shaking hands and squeezed it. Casey tried to reward him with a small smile, but she couldn't bring herself to look into his eyes.

"Has the jury reached a verdict?" The judge asked as the jury shuffled in.

"We have, your honor," one of the jurors responded.

Casey held her breath as she looked over at Alexis, who was shaking much like she was. Nothing, not even a guilty verdict, would ever assuage Casey's guilt over what had happened to Alexis. Elliot had reminded her time and time again that even if she had reported her attack it would not have changed the situation, but it was no use.

"We find the defendant, Sean McGinnis, guilty."

She could have sworn her heart stopped beating temporarily, as a wide smile creeped its way onto her face. She finally looked up from her lap and was immediately engulfed by a huge hug from Elliot, as Shayla grabbed her free hand and squeezed it tightly. She felt relief literally wash over her at those words, and she could only imagine that Alexis felt much the same way.

"You know, it's a little weird how thrilled I am that my father is going to prison," Shayla stated suddenly. "I'm going to have so much to talk about in therapy in my future." Casey rolled her eyes as she released Elliot and turned around to hug her daughter.

"Thank you for being here, Shay. Just know that even though I truly wish your conception had been different, I wouldn't trade you in for anything. Even though you are a pain in the ass."

"Yeah, well, let's see if you still feel that way after you're paying my college tuition next year," Shayla retorted, smirking at Casey, who rolled her eyes again.

"Casey!" Alexis called as she ran over to where the three of them were sitting. "Thank you so much, for everything."

Casey shakily stood up and embraced the young girl. "Of course. Remember, you can call me anytime you need me, okay?"

Alexis nodded before smiling at her one more time before walking out with her parents.

"Well, that was cute," Shayla said sarcastically. "Now let's get the hell out of here."

"You go ahead, I'll be there in a second," Casey told her sister. Shayla gave her an odd look in response before shrugging and walking out.

Casey turned around to face Elliot, then she leaned in to kiss him. "Thank you so much, El. I love you," Casey whispered as she finally pulled away.

"I love you too," he whispered quickly before pulling her back in.

* * *

Theeee end:) I didn't know how to end it, so this works. Yay!


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